Description

This is the leftmost route on the north face of the main rock. People often confuse it for the considerably simpler corner route which is just right of it, because the route is quite simple until the top fifteen feet.

Climb up the slab using large grips and an undercling. Clipping and moving off the tiny crimpers with tiny feet to the right of the third bolt is definately the crux, though a fall in this section is very well protected.

This gets an "s" rating because the first bolt is about 25 feet off the ground, though climbing in the initial section is probably only 5.9 or so.

Protection

3 bolts to a 2 bolt top anchor. To set up a toprope, talk to the top of the main rock, and these will be the first set of anchors on the right. Bring a 5' sling for a top rope.

TR'ed this route but bolts would make it fairly safe once you get to the first bolt. I would share route with Corner Route to get to first bolt and then go back down and climb face left of Corner Route. Some fun face climbing at the bottom but not sure if the route is supposed to go there that far left. Guide looks like it may share a bit of the Corner Route at the beginning. It's easy to use feet on Corner Route at one spot. I stayed only on face but ended up using holds that were near the Corner Route seam that I used on Corner Route. I'm pretty sure these holds are valid. The moves past the last bolt were very iffy using a couple of tiny crimpers. The bolt is right there so these moves would be well protected. Guide book rates this at 5.11d. I have no idea as I'm just breaking into these grades.

Well, did as I planned (see above comment). First I climbed up Corner Route to clip it's first bolt. Then climbed the Slab from the ground. A fall would be a swing into the corner but at least you wouldn't hit the ground. Kept the climb safer but still exciting! There may be only one very hard move at the top but moving from 1st to 2nd to 3rd bolt is pretty sustained! Fell on the top move once when trying to reach statically for the layback corner from the crimpers. Started the sequence again and popped this time and made it. Those crimpers are tiny and the holds that you use for your feet aren't much bigger!Some great face climbing on solid rock!

I finally led this one. One good fall going for the third bolt. Happy to report it's a very safe fall. Hung a little at the third once clipped, but I've been getting the end moves more and more statically, as opposed to the first time I TR'd it and lunged for the finishing lieback hold. A tip for that third bolt: go a little higher for the sharp crimp and use that to clip or you're probably going to pump out and fall like I did. The crux is that last move above the third bolt as well as getting from the second to third bolts on thin face holds. I still believe this route is fun enough to deserve a name. Any ideas?

Just curious as to how you do the moves from the 2nd to the 3rd bolt... I hope I'm not off route but here is what I do... Standing at the 2nd bolt there is a left facing good edge on the right. I grab this with left hand leaning to the right. I move right foot up onto an obvious good hold and stand up reaching high to the right for a right facing little corner/edge. I use left foot under little roof to hold body and and move left hand up to left facing corner/edge. Now I can reach up to better right hand hold in a sort of hole. I step up with left foot onto tiny foot hold that is hard to see. Right foot I keep away from the actual Corner Route corner on slabby things. From this position I reach over with right hand to small in-cut sharp edge. Reposition left hand on small stuff, pull, and reach with left hand to large left facing hold. My question is, is moving right a bit at 2nd bolt to get good holds off limits? If so, then moving straight up to 3rd bolt really seems hard. And maybe that's why it has the 11c/d rating... I'm asking you as not too many other people post here... Thanks!